Break
by Karasu Mitsukai
Summary: The story of a girl and boy, both gifted with mysterious powers, going to any lengths to kill one another. Born to hate each other, Adrian and Cain find out just how much fate has in plan for the both of them, and the truth behind their fiery loathing.
1. Adrian

The winter night was cold and biting, light breaths of icy wind shooting through the air. The moon, cleaved perfectly in half, hung low over the city buildings, painting the alleyways black. She walked alone along the sidewalk, her footsteps echoing quietly in the air. "These winter hours are crazy," she muttered, glancing at her watch: Seven o'clock. She sighed and shrugged under her heavy backpack.

The loud ring of her cell phone suddenly burst through the stillness. She brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Adrian!_" the voice on the phone exclaimed. "_Where are you? It's already dark._"

Adrian rolled her eyes. "Hato, just calm down. I can take care of myself."

Her head suddenly snapped up. She narrowed her eyes and murmured, "See you at home." Pocketing the phone and pushing a stray lock of long, black hair from her face, she slunk forward to peer into one dark alley.

Grunts of pain and sounds of falling blows cam from the shadows. She grimaced and strode into view, standing before the narrow alley entrance with one hand on her hip. The man mugging the other meek form looked up at her and snorted. "Get back home, girlie. Stay out of this." As he was raising his fist once again, something suddenly smashed him against the wall. He groaned and started to slide down, but was lifted by the collar.

Adrian, one hand holding him up and the other brandishing a rock, glared angrily at him. He stared at her in disbelief as she sniffed with disdain. "You're not even worth my time."

The hand holding the rock began to glow. Blue ribbons of light seeped from her skin and enveloped the rock, stretching and changing it until it had turned into a crude knife. The man gulped nervously as Adrian taunted him with it, waving it back and forth before his eyes. "What are you?!" he rasped.

Adrian tossed the knife. It embedded itself into the wall a few centimeters from his face. A few locks of hair fell to the ground. With a whimper, the man passed out. Adrian let him fall and put her hands in her pockets with a shrug. "better than any police force, that's for sure."

The older man on th ground stared up at her, crying like he was looking at Jesus Christ. "Y-you saved me!" he whispered. "How can I ever thank--"

Adrian tossed him some change. "Call for help." She turned and walked away without looking back. The man stared after her for a moment, then rushed over to a nearby payphone. "Hello?" he said. "yes, there's an unconscious body here…."

There was a snap, and the man fell to the ground. Before the receiver had fallen, a hand caught it in midair and put it to a smiling mouth. "Sorry, that's two unconscious bodies."


	2. Cain

Adrian rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, I swear my life is a movie." She glanced up at the moon. _I'd better hurry before Hato sends out a search party…._

There was a soft thump behind her. "Adrian."

She stopped. She knew that voice very well. "You don't allow a moment's rest do you?" she said, hands trembling.

Her foot swung around, but was caught in midair. She bore her teeth at the boy grinning playfully at her. He threw her into a twist and she rolled away, coming up on one knee. She looked up just in time to duck away from a savage kick and retaliated with a barrage of rapid punches.

He jumped away with his arms crossed before his face; she braced herself for a return attack, but none came. He only smiled and raised his head. The boy was very tall, with lean muscle rippling over his body. He wore a long, white coat that matched his silky white hair perfectly. He chuckled softly as he slowly rose his bright blue eyes to meet hers. "You get stronger with every fight."

"Look at you, trying to act all wise in front of me," she scoffed. "All these late night attacks make it look like you're going to rape me or something."

His mouth fell open in a hurt way. "What?!" He flailed his arms around. "Was this a bad time?"

She turned and closed her eyes impatiently, walking calmly away. "It's late. Karasu's probably waiting for you."

"He can wait," the boy said. He glared angrily at Adrian's back. "Hey! I'm not done fighting!"

Adrian stopped. Slowly, her head turned to look at him. "Cain."

The boy, Cain, gasped and shrunk at the look of hatred in her eyes. "I'm. Tired," she hissed.

Cain folded his arms and pouted. "Fine. But next time, I swear I'll kill you."

"Yeah, yeah," Adrian sighed as she turned again.

For a moment, the only sound was her slow, deliberate footsteps, then Cain called, "Do you need me to walk you home?"

A knife whizzed past his head. He smiled and waved. "Okay, then, see you later!"

As she turned a corner and disappeared from his view, Cain lowered his hand and sneered. "Yeah, I'll kill you next time." He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away in the opposite direction. "Man, I can't wait."


	3. Hato

Author's Note: Although this story is listed under the category "Anime X-Overs," the story and characters of Break are purely original--I just didn't know which category to put it under when it was an original composition.

Adrian walked into her apartment and dropped her backpack to the ground. "Phew, finally!" she groaned, stretching herself out. She glanced around, realizing that it was unusually silent. She took a few cautious steps further in. "Hato?" she called. "Hato, are you there…?"

"ADRIAN!" Suddenly, a girl had jumped on top of Adrian and was frantically hugging her, squealing with joy. "You're finally home! I was worried you might've run into Cain…"

"I did." Adrian calmly pried the girl off, barely hiding her smile. "Calm down Hato. Jeez, just being around you makes _me_ worry for my safety." Hato smiled and clapped her hands. Her short blond hair bounced as she walked, green eyes flickering with a brightness of their own. She was wearing baggy pajamas that accentuated her tiny frame, sporting teddy bears and unicorns.

"Alright." Hato put a slim finger to her lips thoughtfully. "It's a little late, so dinner might be cold. Why don't you take a bath while I heat it up for you?"

"Okay." Adrian pulled off her jacket and dropped it by her abandoned backpack. "How was your day?"

"Wonderful!" Hato replied cheerfully.

"I thought so." Adrian smiled as she turned to walk down the hall.

Adrian eased herself into the hot water with a sigh of contentment, letting the last touch of cold weather wash away. She smelled the tantalizing aroma of hot food waft in from the kitchen. Ever aspect of the atmosphere was perfect.

The apartment, affectionately called "the nest," had always been this way for Adrian. Comfort swept over her every time she walked through the door. She wondered if all homes were this perfect, or if she was just lucky.

Once Adrian had sat down to dinner, Hato placed a bowl of spaghetti on the table. While the two were quietly eating, Hato said, "So you ran into Cain today?"

"Yeah," Adrian replied with her mouth full. "Nothing really happened--I told him I was tired, and he left me alone."

"Hm…" Hato looked back down and continued to play with her food.

Adrian stared at her. "What's wrong?"

Hato smiled defensively. "Nothing, I'm fine."

Adrian sighed. "You know, I would think that by now, you would be comfortable telling me things."

Soon after Adrian's parents died, she and Hato had met, and had been inseparable ever since then. Hato had always been there, smiling when Adrian walked out the door and waiting patiently for her return. Honestly, Adrian didn't know how they had become such good friends--their personalities were polar opposites. But Adrian could no longer deny that, without Hato, her perfect, warm home would be cold and empty.

Adrian stood up and smiled. "Good night, then. I hope you feel better."

Hato nodded. "Right!" As Adrian walked away, her smile fell. She walked to the open window and knelt down. Bowing her head as if in prayer, she softly whispered a name. "Karasu…"


	4. Karasu

Cain slammed the door behind him and angrily kicked off his shoes.

Before him, a man pranced forward, grinning childishly. "Cain…! Uh…" When he saw Cain's stormy face, his greeting trailed away. He put up his hands and backed away, eyeing Cain warily. "Are…you okay?"

"Never mind, Karasu," he snapped back. "Just shut up and make dinner."

"But I'm _tired_!" Karasu whined. "Can't you make it tonight?"

"_Fine_!" Cain stomped past into the kitchen.

"Jeez, Cain, what's got you so pissed?" Karasu sighed. He strode after Cain with a lazy gait, his long, lanky arms swinging. His black hair was sleek but messy, layered so that it looked as if feathers covered his head. His figure was tall and elegant, a bit shorter than Cain, with noticeable muscles under his black shirt. A mischievous smile frequently played across his slim, fair face, while his black eyes forever twinkled intelligently.

Cain was already well along in his cooking, frying eggs and bacon on a skillet. Karasu cheered. "Huzzah for 'brinner!'" Cain didn't look up. Karasu placed a hand on his shoulder. "Seriously, what's up?"

Cain suddenly pounded his fist down on the counter and bowed his head. "_Damn_ that girl!" he groaned. "Get the hell out of my head!"

Karasu frowned sympathetically. "Adrian?"

"Yeah…" Cain turned around to lean against the counter with a sigh. "It's like…a chain, you know? I can't…stop thinking about her." He suddenly smiled. "About my hands around her neck."

"Dude, you are on a path leading straight to hell," Karasu muttered, resuming the cooking.

"Do you think I care?" Cain laughed. "I may be going to hell, but I sure am enjoying the ride." He glanced around. "Where's everybody else?"

Karasu stiffened. "Ah…they're…" He whipped around with desperate eyes. "I couldn't take it any more, Cain! Always grabbing my legs and getting in my hair, and that friggin' dog keeps _humping_ me!"

"So they're in my room, then?" Cain started toward the end of the house's long hallway. The home where he and Karasu lived was large and comfortable, with plenty of rooms going without use. He liked living in the spacious house--it made him feel as if he could truly be alone with his thoughts.

As soon as he opened the door to his room, he was greeted by a storm of fur and tongues. He laughed as two small cats and an enormous golden retriever engulfed him, kissing and rubbing against him in their elation.

He giggled and pushed his pets away so that he could sit up. The frantic excitement gone, the well trained animals sat across from Cain, gazing up at him expectantly. "Hey, Bear, Eve, Casper." The dog, Bear, thumped his tail, his big brown eyes soft and kind. The first cat, a pretty gray and ginger tabby with white paws, was named Evangeline, or Eve. The second cat had long white fur and wide blue eyes--Casper.

Cain gave them all pats on the head and rose to his feet. "Come to the kitchen--I'll feed you guys." He went back to where Karasu was waiting, the animals following obediently behind him. Karasu was cowering on the counter, glaring down at the dog and cats.

Cain quietly filled three bowls with food, while Karasu slowly eased himself down from the counter.

After the animals had started eating, Cain said, "Hey, Karasu?"

"What?"

"I think I'm going out tonight."

Karasu tensed. "Cain, I can't let you do that. It's late, and I'm sure you're very tired."

Cain turned slowly. He smiled and lifted his hand. Karasu glared at it defiantly.

Cain's finger twitched. Karasu suddenly felt the air rush out of his lungs--he choked and clutched at his throat desperately. He watched as Cain took the air he had ripped out and wound it around his fingers, grinning crazily. "Well, I'm not letting you stop me. It's been awhile since I've gone out." His hand twitched again, and the air shot back down Karasu's throat. He gasped and coughed, crumpling to the ground.

"Cain…" Karasu growled. But the white haired boy was already gone. Karasu shook his head and rose to his feet with a sigh, putting a hand on Bear's head; the dog whined his confusing. "I'll just have to work harder." He lowered his head. "Please, Cain. Give me a little more time."


	5. Superhero

Adrian was lying on her bed, staring at the dark ceiling. She glanced at the glowing red letters on her clock: 12:30. She groaned and closed her eyes. "That bastard…" Every time she tried to sleep, Cain's blue eyes and white hair haunted her mind. She shivered with the familiar fear and hatred she felt whenever she saw him smile.

Adrian didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she began to dream. She opened her eyes to a bright kitchen, a warm, happy aura floating through the air. A man was washing dishes in the sink, while at the table sat a woman and a child. The mother smiled and gave her daughter a rattler. The girl cooed and giggled as she shook it and played. The woman turned to her husband and laughed.

The happiness radiating from the smiles of this small family was so overwhelming, it brought tears to Adrian's eyes as she watched. She came behind the little girl and gazed at her familiar black hair and red-brown eyes. She wrapped her ghostly arms around the child for a moment and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, Adrian heard a pained gasp. She looked up to see that the rattler in the child's hand had been replaced with a colorful knife. The mother was hunched over, clutching her wrist, the father bending over her with concern in his eyes. Adrian's eyes widened as blood seeped between the mother's tense fingers.

The child laughed and waved the knife, but her smile slowly dropped when she felt the fear that had suddenly filled the room. She saw her mother clenching her teeth against the pain, and began to whimper as her eyes filled with tears.

The scene swirled until it changed to show the family sitting together on the living room couch. The mother had recovered, gauze wrapped around her arm. On the man's lap sat the black-haired child, with a thumb stuck in her mouth.

"Here." The mother handed the girl a toothbrush. "Can you do the trick again?"

The girl nodded. From her hand seeped delicate tendrils of red light that twisted and crept tentatively toward the toothbrush. The light melted around it and began to pull and warp until, once it had faded, another knife had taken its place.

The parents stared at their daughter in wonder. The girl screwed her eyes shut and threw the knife away, burying herself in her father's chest. "Can you make other things?" the man asked. She nodded.

"What's wrong, honey?" said the mother, placing a hand on the girl's head. "Why are you so sad?"

"Because my magic makes Mommy not like me."

"Oh, Adrian." The woman wrapped her arms around her husband and child. "What makes you think that? Of course I still like you!"

"But you were sad when I showed you."

"I wasn't sad, but I was surprised." The mother smiled and brushed back her child's hair. "Adrian, magic isn't something that makes people sad."

"Yeah, so it's okay." Her father smiled, too. "Because now you can be a superhero."

The girl's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Don't worry, Adrian." Her mother kissed her nose--the girl giggled. "I know that your magic will make people smile."

Suddenly, a shrieking gust of air shattered the windows, glass shooting to every corner of the room. Adrian screamed, putting up her arms--the razor sharp shards simply passed through her harmlessly. She lowered her arms: The family was sprawled out on the floor, blood pooling around the parents' still forms. The little girl cowered against the wall, tears streaming from her wide eyes. At the window stood a tall, dark form, blue eyes shining brightly. Suddenly, Adrian found herself looking through the eyes of the little girl; she saw the monster step into the room, saw his smile, felt his maniacal joy as he reached toward her. A scream ripped out of her throat.

Adrian sat straight up in bed and gasped, cold sweat covering her body. She knew that the last part of her dream hadn't actually happened, but no matter what she saw in her sleep, Cain always managed to find a way in.

6:00. Adrian groaned and felt the blood rush to her head after the sudden wake-up. She fell back on the pillow and clutched her forehead.

Suddenly, the alarm clock began to ring.

Adrian rolled into a crouch while simultaneously pulling a gun out from under her pillow. She narrowed her eyes and quickly shot the clock to bits.

After she was sure that the device had been killed, she looked up. Hato was standing in the door wearing an apron, mouth hanging open.

"Oh, hey, Hato," said Adrian, replacing the gun. "Is breakfast ready?"


	6. High School

**Author's Note**

**Greetings, everybody! Karasu Mitsukai here, and to anyone reading this, thanks so much for wasting your time on my story! These characters and this idea has been ruling my mind for some time now, so I'm really glad I finally have the chance to share **_**Break**_** with all of you!**

**So…yeah. So far, most of the major characters have been introduced (that is, after you read this chapter that will be true). There's two more big people that have yet to come into play, but it's coming. Soon. You may have noticed that (beside our lovable, sadistic Cain) there's not really a villain. Let me just tell you now, he's a good one. Heh, heh, heh….**

**Sorry, I won't talk for much longer! X( Just so you know, there will now be occasional character profiles before the chapter, or maybe I'll just want to ramble again… so watch out. OH! Also FYI, Adrian's last name is Liaan. (It's mentioned in this chapter, and I forgot to include it earlier on…)**

Like every other morning, Adrian walked to school alone. Hato had left the nest earlier to attend her all-girl school. She shoved her hands into her jacket sleeves and shivered against the cold--the frost had set in during the night. She reached the school and rushed into the building with a sigh of relief. Looking around at the sparse, lazy students, she realized she was early.

As she walked down the halls, Adrian was regularly greeted with eager, cheery smiles from the classmates she passed. After a few weeks of knowing Adrian, the students had adjusted to her unusual fashion: The boy's uniform.

When Adrian had entered her high school as a sophomore, she avidly refused to wear the girl's uniform, a simple sweater and knee-length skirt. Being extremely sensitive to cold, she couldn't imagine living through the winter with such little coverage. So, despite the faculty's disapproval, she now went to school dressed like any other male peer.

Adrian reached her empty homeroom and sat down, enjoying the brief stillness. She looked outside at the dull, silver sky, and shuddered, huddling deeper into her jacket.

"Adrian." She looked up: Another student stood in the doorway. He stared across the room at her through navy-blue eyes, his expression cool and sharp.

"Good morning, Alex," Adrian replied, returning his gaze.

The boy, Alexander, walked over to sit at the desk beside Adrian. He was tall and elegant, with a sophisticated aura that matched his straight posture. His straight, shoulder-length black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, exposing the onyx stub in his ear. He turned once again to Adrian and smiled slightly, letting slip a warmth that briefly lit up the dim room. "It's cold today."

"Yes." Adrian smiled back, feeling the welcome peace that came over her whenever she was with Alexander. She leaned back in her desk, turned slightly so she was facing her friend. "I don't look forward to going back out _there_ again."

Alexander chuckled softly. "Same here."

Adrian glanced around. "Have you seen--"

"_Adrian_!" A long pair of arms suddenly enveloped Adrian from behind. She didn't react beyond a small "Hmph…"

"Sam, you'll muss up her hair."

The arms receded until one was leaning on her shoulder. "There you are, Sam," muttered Adrian. "I didn't even hear you come in, fool."

"That's 'cause I'm stealthy!" The boy leaning against Adrian grinned, his hazel eyes sparkling. He had short, almost spiky light chestnut-brown hair, with the bangs gelled up on one side and combed flat on the other. His uniform was scruffy, the unclasped sleeves hanging loose over his big hands and the tie hanging untied around his neck.

"Hold still for a second." Adrian reached up and quickly fixed his tie.

"Wow," Sam breathed. "That was really cute of you, Adrian!"

There was a moment of silence, then Alex said, "If we were in a manga, I think that sentence would have been followed by a heart."

Adrian smiled while Sam laughed at the joke--she was enjoying these moments with her the boys. She couldn't remember a time when she and Alexander hadn't been best friends; he had always been there, a quiet, steadfast presence in her life. In kindergarten, the two had met Sam, when he was being picked on by bullies. Adrian smiled at the memory in which, to Sam's supreme embarrassment, she herself had fought off his tormenters. The three had been "a group" ever since.

People began to surge in, chatting until the teacher entered to teach the lesson. He passed back the report the students had turned in last class; Adrian took hers and stared at the 100 expressionlessly. She turned to Alex to see that his paper's score had received full credit as well. They glanced at each other, then looked back to see a 49 glaring out from Sam's report. He pouted, then grinned sheepishly. "Hey, at least it's just a 'D' this time!"

"No, that's an 'F,'" Adrian corrected.

Sam's face fell and he slumped into his chair. Alexander shrugged dismissively. "It's just a grade."

Sam grinned. "I wish I was smart enough to say that."

The next class was gym. In the locker room, Adrian pulled off her shirt and stretched.

"Cute bra, Adrian!"

"Thanks," Adrian vaguely replied, continuing her dressing without a pause.

"Uh…right," said the girl. She lingered a moment, but when Adrian gave no further response, she left the locker room.

"How cold," someone else muttered. Adrian glanced up to see a pretty girl with long, straight brown hair glaring down at her.

"You're…Kathy?" asked Adrian.

"Christy," the girl growled back. "Not that you would know, considering how much time you spend flirting with boys."

"Sure," Adrian said absently. "See you in class, Christy."

As she jogged away, Christy stared after her in disbelief, huffing angrily.

Adrian met Alex and Sam in the gym and began to stretch. "Long time no see."

"Hey, Adrian!" said Sam with a smile. Alex patted her head in greeting as more boys gathered around them, laughing and chatting energetically.

"Alright, line up you guys," called the coach. She was petite and blond, with a Red Socks baseball cap on her head, but despite her small exterior, her eyes were hard and sharp. "Pacer test today."

A collective groan rose from the students. Sam pumped his fists into the air. "Yay for running!"

Everyone crouched in a line, waiting for the signal, and then, _buzz_! The crowd jogged up and down the gym, lap after lap, some dropping out as early as thirty five. Adrian, Alex and Sam were always one step ahead of the group, chatting just as evenly as they would standing still.

"Fifty eight!" called the coach. A couple of the lingering girls, panting and clutching their sides, dropped out.

"Crap, we have algebra next, don't we?" groaned Sam.

"Seventy two!" Just a handful of sturdy boys remained with the three, all quickly reaching their limits.

"Eighty nine," Coach said, losing her enthusiasm.

Only Adrian, Alex and Sam remained, then Sam said, "Oops, that many? I'm kind of thirsty, so…" He eased to a stop, waved, and loped away toward the drinking fountain.

"Ninety six…"

Alex saluted Adrian with a smile. "Die hard today, huh?" He patted her back and jogged back to the sidelines.

Adrian did not stop running, nor did she slow down. All the other students cheered her on, knowing that as long as she kept going, they wouldn't have to work. "Alright, Liaan. At one hundred thirteen, I'm going to stop you," the coach sighed. Adrian walked over to the teacher and made a peace sign with her hand on her way to the drinking fountain. The coach discreetly returned the gesture.

"Dang, Adrian, you're like a tank!" A few boys punched her shoulder and grinned. She smiled back as she bent down to sip from the fountain.

"Good job today, Addy," said Alex, leaning against the wall. Sam assumed his usual position: Hanging on Adrian from behind, his arms wrapped around her neck. He was just tall enough to rest his chin on her head.

"Sam, you're rank and sweaty," she said, despite her peaceful smile.

The last two periods of the day passed without a hitch, and it was time to go home.

"I love the block schedule," said Sam, standing outside the school with Adrian and Alexander. "Gives you a whole day to put off your homework. Oh, there's my ride!" He hugged Adrian tightly, gave Alex a friendly high-five, then ran off to jump in the car waiting for him.

"See you later, Addy," said Alex, squeezing her around the shoulders. "Are we doing anything this week?"

"If you feel up to it, yes," she replied. "I think I'll be needing a release at some point."

"Call me, then." He backed away, bowing gracefully, then walked off toward his home.

Adrian stared affectionately after him for a moment, then turned the opposite way, where her apartment was.

There, standing where Adrian now faced, was Cain. He opened his arms and smiled cruelly. "Hello, princess. I'm here to escort you home."


	7. Birth of Hatred

**Author's Note**

**Yay! I love this chapter! This is where it all began, folks! The scene featuring middle-school Cain and Adrian is the very first scene ever imagined. Let me explain:**

**There was a long period of time where I wasn't writing at all because of school and homework--I didn't have time for anything. So I started seeing little tidbits of scenes that could be stuck into anything every moment of peace I had. The most persistent of the scenes was one of a bloody girl on the ground, a young, mischievous boy beneath her: The scene at the end of this chapter.**

**I really loved this scene, so I really wanted to use it, but there was really no room for it in the story I was working on. I decided to make a whole new story, and thus, **_**Break **_**was born. So appreciate this chapter, because it really is the birthplace of Cain and Adrian.**

"Get away from me, fool, I was in a good mood," Adrian snapped, roughly brushing past him.

"Hey, no need to get testy," Cain chuckled, putting up his hands innocently. "Just a friendly check-up."

"I don't need your help," she hissed between her teeth. "I know the way to my own house." Though Adrian was relatively level-headed, she always felt an uncontainable fire when she saw Cain--he was the only person who could ever cause her to lose her temper.

"But you're so young and beautiful and _innocent_," he said, walking alongside her. "Anything could happen to a girl like you."

"A girl who can turn matter into weapons?" she inquired. "Like I said, I can take care of myself."

"You're nothing," Cain retorted. "You haven't even discovered all your powers yet. I on the other hand--"

Adrian turned on him. "The only reason you're farther along than I am is because you use your powers excessively, and for the wrong cause." She resumed her walking. "I don't even know why I'm talking to you. Would you kindly leave?"

"Hey, how's Hato doing?" he said, very obviously changing the subject.

Their angry arguing continued all the way to Adrian's apartment, though with all the people on the streets, she didn't dare start a fight with him--she knew that he wouldn't shy from hurting others to get to her.

At her door, their tense conversation ended. "Good night, Adrian!" said Cain.

"Quit following me home!" and leaving him with that, Adrian slammed the door behind her with enough force to knock it off its hinges.

While Adrian stared openmouthed at the wrecked door, Cain burst out laughing. She blushed angrily and stomped away, returning with a hammer, screws and a few spare hinges. She went to work efficiently and silently, still embarrassed from her show of anger.

"You actually have spares?" Cain guffawed, wiping his eyes. "Does this happen a lot?"

"Shut up and go home!" she growled, finishing and testing the door.

"Allow me," he chuckled, reaching out and closing the door. "I'll come to pick you up again tomorrow!"

"Ugh!" Adrian stormed into her room and furiously started her homework, grumbling angrily to herself. "That retarded _idiot_!" She shut her mouth and blushed when she realized how immature she sounded.

Hato arrived a little while later in a panic. "I saw Cain on the way here! Are you okay, Adrian? What's burning?!"

"Don't worry; I didn't let him in, and he didn't touch me." She was too chagrinned to admit that _she _had been the one to damage their home.

"Whew!" She came into Adrian's room and flopped down on the bed. "He seemed to be in a pretty good mood when I saw him, so I got anxious." She calmed down, then said, "How was school today?"

"Fine. Nothing new, really."

"I expected Alexander or Sam to be here--you usually take them home when you don't have work."

"They both had stuff to do," said Adrian.

"Oh, you're still wearing your uniform," Hato pointed out. "I'll let you change."

Adrian watched her as she left, noticing how incredibly pretty her friend was. With her petite figure and innocent features, she looked like an angel. Even though Adrian was younger than Hato, she always felt as though the blond girl was someone who needed to be protected and taken care of.

After they had both changed and Adrian had finished her homework, Hato ordered pizza--as was tradition on Thursday nights--and pulled out two game controls. The two settled in for a long _Halo_ tournament, which Hato was uncharacteristically good at.

A few hours passed, and the girls finally turned in. As Adrian was doing some late-night reading, Hato came in and sat down on the bed. "What's up?" asked Adrian.

"I have a question, but it's a rather tender subject, so I've never brought it up…" she began, looking at her toes. She took a breath and raised her head. "Why do you hate Cain so much?"

Adrian sighed and put down her book. "I couldn't tell you. I only learned his name a couple years ago. We ended up in the same middle school. Have I never told you how we met?"

Hato shook her head.

Adrian began to describe the memory, and soon lost herself in it. Two years ago, when she was in seventh grade, she hadn't known Cain existed. She was a perfect student with lots of friends and good grades. Her life was happy and simple--she smiled so much more often back then.

That perfect life was shattered with just a slight bump on her shoulder.

She was walking down a narrow, crowded hall with a group of friends, when they passed a group of ninth graders. Adrian smiled at them and brushed past one shoulder, two, three, then…

Adrian stopped in her tracks. An electric charge rushed urgently through her veins, setting fire to her soul. She whipped around to see that the fourth boy she had touched had stopped as well. He stood with his back to her, head down and arms hanging loosely at his side. Adrian growled and turned the pencil she held into a knife. She cried out and lunged toward him, a red veil flooding over her vision. The boy with white hair whipped around and parried her blow with one arm. His blue eyes glinted with sarcastic malice as he kicked her legs out, sending her crashing to the floor. Their classmates had gathered around, a ripple of concern and confusion coursing through them.

Adrian gasped as her own knife was pressed against her throat; she heard a girl in the crowd scream at the sight of it. The boy whispered, "Where have you been hiding?" She threw him off and jumped back, just as he lashed out with his fists. He grabbed her wrist and twisted, smiling as she cried in pain.

Some brave teachers were working through the crowd to break the two up. Adrian gasped, "This isn't the time or place--people could get hurt."

He snatched her arm and grinned. "Then let's ditch this joint, sweetheart!"

Adrian felt a great, blinding rush, and she suddenly found herself outside the school, surrounded by thick mist. She glanced wildly around, trying to locate the boy. He suddenly leaped out from the fog and pinned her to the ground, still grinning maniacally. "Who the hell are you?" Adrian managed to choke out. She kicked him off and rolled away.

He straightened up and answered. "Cain."

Adrian threw herself into a flurry of raging kicks and punches, never managing to touch Cain. He bore into her with his icy blue eyes and hissed, "Why are you doing this?"

"I have no idea." She flew at him, hands slashing. "All I know is that I hate you!"

Cain screamed and brought down the knife. Adrian grimaced as it cut across her arm, drawing blood. She clutched the wound and glared at her opponent.

A change seemed to have come over Cain. He stared at the oozing blood, his breath heaving. A terrible, devilish grin stretched over his face. "Yes," he whispered hoarsely. "More!"

The rest of the fight passed in a blur to Adrian. All she remembered clearly was the pain. Merciless, invisible pain, coming in from every side. There was no stopping it, no stopping the blood pouring out from every bare spot on her body.

When it was over, she crouched on all fours, staring at the ground in shock. Her breath forced its way out in painful wheezes, her body unable to stand. Cain stepped out from the mist: Blood covered his fingers. He slowly licked them clean, staring down at her thoughtfully.

He slid down so that he was lying beneath her, his face turned up toward hers. "Why aren't you crying?" he inquired.

"You'd better get out from under there, or I'll bleed on you."

Sure enough, a drop of blood plopped down on his cheek. "Huh." He wiped it off with his finger and put it in his mouth. "Guess so." He brought himself to all fours until they were eye level. He caressed Adrian's face with one hand, disregarding her murderous glare.

Adrian was surprised to feel how warm his hand was, her skin pricking wherever he touched. She did not like the feeling.

Cain turned her head from side to side, studying every inch of it. He finally brought his face close enough that she could feel his soft breath flow down her own throat. He stared into her eyes, a concentrated look on his face. She stopped breathing. "Your eyes," he muttered. "So different…and strong." He finally released her and rose to his feet. "Tell you what," he said casually, stretching himself out. "I'll let you live this time."

She stared at him in disbelief as he turned to walk away. "Why?"

He turned around, stuck out his tongue and winked. "Because you're so darn cute."


End file.
